Why do I feel I just robbed a bank???

Just got a letter saying my health card expired and if I didn't get it registered with the state I would be in big trouble. I went and got my card and the clinic said the rules changed and they are strictly enforcing them. It causes me to ask myself why do I put up with all the STUFF that comes with trucking?

I'm all for the health stuff and inspection stuff as there are those who need to be gone. But the Feds and States change stuff all the time with little or no warning and now your on the hook for big Fines$$$$$$. Trucker

I think you nailed it when you mentioned big fines. They don't really care about health and safety, it's all about the money. That's why they keep changing the rules.

That's what bureaucrats do---make rules. Then, they have to change the rules every now and then to give the appearance of actually doing something and to justify their nice jobs.

How did they make it so that you didn't know that your card was going to expire. I know without looking when mine expires.

How can what you said be true, how can health care rules have changed???? external_link promised "If you like your plan you can keep your plan" and we would save $2,500 per year !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

John T

Super Trucker. The rules for your medical card changed Jan. 1st 2014. There was a two year warning period. It was all over the place. There where even several post on YT about it.

They are trying to stop guys forging their medical cards that are not able to pass the DOT physical. With the old system where you just carried your medical card there was no simple way for any officer to check to see if that card was real or not. I know of several fellow that drove for years forging their own cards as they could not pass the physical.

I understand the rules changed but the doc said they changed again in Sept. My problem is why do they make you feel like a criminal even when your COMPLETELY in the law. Why do we only have to register our med cards for out of state driving and not across the board? My biggest complaint is lack of standards across the country. If the Feds want to regulate than so be it,make it the same for ALL 50 states and get rid of all the confusion. As a whole we WERE a group of respected class of workers now fast food jockeys are treated with more respect.

I was expecting some comment about hand cuffs and ski masks.
Oh, here's one right here! LOL
On the bright side, you're ready to roll now.

As far as respect goes, here is my take after 21 years behind the wheel:
Loud pipes. Barking Jake brakes through town at 2:30am. P!ss bottles on the side of the road and everywhere that truckers park for any length of time. Excessive idling in places that it is NOT welcome - like under somebody's bedroom window in an area that borders a residential area. Idling when it is simply not necessary or justified. Litter all over every place that you can park a truck. Falsified log books. Cheating on documents (like medical cards). The list goes on.

I'm not saying that ALL or even a majority of drivers behave this way. Just enough to give us ALL a bad name, and to make us unwelcome in many places that we were formerly welcome.

Respect is EARNED, not given. Likewise, a few bad actors have made it bad for the rest of us. Next time you get rear-ended by one of the bad actors, and his/her paperwork is not in order, remember your complaint. The feds are trying to get that person off the road.

(quoted from post at 23:06:33 10/22/14) I was expecting some comment about hand cuffs and ski masks.
Oh, here's one right here! LOL
On the bright side, you're ready to roll now.

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I was guessing he went to Wile E's bank, cut the electric and took all of Wile E's money!

My insurance is pd up through June 2015. I'm leaning towards hanging it up after that.

Trying to keep up with rule changes when your the chief cook and bottle washer is tough. I constantly research and pay attention. Every time I get near a DOT officer I ask them what's new and or coming up. They usually know ahead of time. I get randomly checked at least once a month, routine stuff like log books, cab card, weigh stations etc.

I never stressed about this job until the FMCSA was created. I've had several audits and come out fine. But I now feel I'm one health issue, ticket, failed inspection, or wreck from being forced out of business.

I'm in Houston TX and I can't understand how so many junk trucks are on the road. I can usually pick out at least one mechanical violation just driving by. I keep my equipment well maintained, clean, inspected, and chrome bright and still get pulled in to the scales upon occasion.

Just doesn't seem right.

Too bad they don't make drivers speak and read English. All the companies must be hiring Illegals ?
At work we seem to get a lot of truckers lost driving thru our parking lot that's marked no trucks. Then they stop and try to ask for directions and can't speak any English.

(quoted from post at 22:56:35 10/22/14) I understand the rules changed but the doc said they changed again in Sept. My problem is why do they make you feel like a criminal even when your COMPLETELY in the law. [b:e3eeaed865] Why do we only have to register our med cards for out of state driving and not across the board?[/b:e3eeaed865] My biggest complaint is lack of standards across the country. If the Feds want to regulate than so be it,make it the same for ALL 50 states and get rid of all the confusion. As a whole we WERE a group of respected class of workers now fast food jockeys are treated with more respect.

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Because the Feds have no authority to regulate intrastate commerce, only intrastate commerce. It's that dang Constitution again, the same one that allows you to post complaints about the gov't like you just did...

I keep my equipment well maintained, clean, inspected, and chrome bright and still get pulled in to the scales upon occasion.

Just doesn't seem right.

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Except if the DOT officers only pulled over trucks that LOOKED bad, the drivers of those trucks would cry "DISCRIMINATION" or "PROFILING" or some such nonsense, and make a Federal case out of it with the help of some greasy class-action lawyer.

They have to be "fair."

So many, a majority, even, were happy when the Teamsters were done away with. That group was responsible for having real professional drivers on the road. You know, folks that were paid by the HOUR, rather than by the mile. Sure, there were 'wildcatters', always were and always will be, but with the demise of the Teamster Union, the illegals took over, undercutting legitimate company's that treated their drivers 'right'. My Dad came out of WWII and became a 'wildcatter' until he realized he was running a LOT of 'deadhead' miles empty, unless he wanted to wait for a load. He finally joined the Teamsters Union and had steady employment until the late 1970's, when he was injured and went on early Social Security. Finally started drawing his Teamster negotiated pension when he turned 65. The Teamsters were very good to and for my Daddy. The idiots I see getting training to be a truck driver thru our Community (Communist) College are less than sharp, mentally wise. Yet our so-called Conservatives keep supplying them with the funds to keep operating. I would shut them off, as most of their trainees don't have English as their first language.

JerryS nailed it.

Bottom line: Doesn't matter if it trucking, Pasturized Milk Ordinence, or what ever other goobermint controls you care to name. As soon as everyone is pretty much in compliance, the rules have to be changed so as to justify the agency's existance and continue to supply income for the goobermint.

This may sound a bit harsh.

It comes across as if you are saying it is the "government"'s fault that you let your medical card expire. Is it also the "government"'s fault that as a licensed professional you don't bother keeping up with the regulations of your industry? Come on, at least make an effort to stay current, every other occupation has to.

My rant.
You answered your own question in the first line of your original post. If your med card is expired, you are NOT COMPLETELY LEGAL. Also most company safety depts will warn you about 30 days ahead of time to get things up to date, & tell your dispatcher not to send you out. But in the end of things, it is your responsibility to check things such as med card, CDL, truck plates, insurance, etc at regular intervals.
While I'm at it, think of a new handle. In most circles being called a Super Trucker is a put down, not something to admit in public.
End of rant
Willie
diesel pilot, retired after over 40 years experience